YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Hiatal Hernia VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Hiatal Hernia under diagnostic code 7346, in 38 CFR § 4.114 (digestive system), and the schedule provides five evaluation levels for it: 80%, 50%, 30%, 10% and 0%.
Free · No account needed
Save your Hiatal Hernia guide
Email yourself this Hiatal Hernia guide so the rating criteria, evidence checklist, and preparation tips are easy to find later.
A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Plan your preparationTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Hiatal Hernia
A hiatal hernia is part of the stomach pushing up through the diaphragm into the chest, which can cause reflux, chest discomfort and difficulty swallowing. DC 7346 carries no criteria of its own: the entry for hiatal hernia and paraesophageal hernia reads "Rate as esophagus, stricture of (DC 7203)." That means the evaluation is built on a documented esophageal stricture causing dysphagia and on the treatment it requires — dilatation, a stent, surgical correction or a feeding tube — rather than on how severe the reflux symptoms are.
DC 7346 has no ladder of its own. The entry reads "Rate as esophagus, stricture of (DC 7203)", so the percentage comes from DC 7203's five rows: 0 percent for a documented history without daily symptoms or requirement for daily medications; 10 percent where an esophageal stricture requires daily medications to control dysphagia and is otherwise asymptomatic; 30 percent for recurrent stricture causing dysphagia requiring dilatation no more than 2 times per year; 50 percent for recurrent or refractory stricture requiring dilatation 3 or more times per year, dilatation using steroids at least one time per year, or esophageal stent placement; and 80 percent for recurrent or refractory stricture causing dysphagia with aspiration, undernutrition, and/or substantial weight loss as defined by § 4.112(a), together with either surgical correction or a percutaneous esophago-gastrointestinal tube (PEG tube). Note (1) requires the findings to be documented by barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Note (4) defines recurrent stricture as the inability to maintain target esophageal diameter beyond 4 weeks after it has been achieved, and Note (5) defines refractory stricture as the inability to achieve target diameter despite receiving no fewer than 5 dilatation sessions performed at 2-week intervals.
- Diagnostic code
- 7346
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.114
- Schedule levels
- 80%, 50%, 30%, 10% and 0%
How does the VA choose a rating level?
Which level applies is set by the criteria the evidence meets, not by the diagnosis. Where there is a question as to which of two evaluations applies, 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher one if the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating.
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Hiatal Hernia VA rating criteria (DC 7346)
Choose a percentage to see what that level means. Open the full comparison to read all the criteria in one place.
These are published rating criteria. Selecting a level does not predict your VA decision.
IN THE REGULATION’S OWN WORDS
What 38 CFR also says about Hiatal Hernia
The notes 38 CFR Part 4 prints with these criteria, quoted. They govern how the evaluation is made without being a rating level themselves.
- “Note (1): Findings must be documented by barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy.”DC 7203
- “Note (2): Non-gastrointestinal complications of procedures should be rated under the appropriate system.”DC 7203
- “Note (3): This diagnostic code applies, but is not limited to, esophagitis, mechanical or chemical; Mallory Weiss syndrome (bleeding at junction of esophagus and stomach due to tears) due to caustic ingestion of alkali or acid; drug-induced or infectious esophagitis due to Candida, virus, or other organism; idiopathic eosinophilic, or lymphocytic esophagitis; esophagitis due to radiation therapy; esophagitis due to peptic stricture; and any esophageal condition that requires treatment with sclerotherapy.”DC 7203
- “Note (4): Recurrent esophageal stricture is defined as the inability to maintain target esophageal diameter beyond 4 weeks after the target diameter has been achieved.”DC 7203
- “Note (5): Refractory esophageal stricture is defined as the inability to achieve target esophageal diameter despite receiving no fewer than 5 dilatation sessions performed at 2-week intervals.”DC 7203
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Hiatal Hernia claim
A long list feels easier when you have a place to start. Use this checklist to see what you have and what still needs gathering.
Check off what you’ve gathered. Progress stays on this page until you leave or refresh.
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Hiatal Hernia?
VA's page says: “You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers.”
Source: VA: Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs), read September 18, 2026.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Hiatal Hernia claim
Start with the practical tips, then explore the common oversights. You don’t need to work through everything at once.
Practical tips for your claim3 tips
- 01
The hernia itself does not set the percentage. Get the esophageal consequence documented — whether a stricture is present and whether it causes dysphagia — because DC 7203's rows are written around that.
- 02
Keep dated records of every dilatation, whether steroids were used, and any stent placement, surgical correction or PEG tube. Those facts separate the 30, 50 and 80 percent rows.
- 03
Ask that the report state whether the stricture is recurrent under Note (4) or refractory under Note (5). Both terms have defined meanings, and both appear in the rows from 50 percent up.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
An examination that confirms the hernia but never addresses whether an esophageal stricture and dysphagia are present, which leaves the criteria nothing to be applied to.
- 02
Dilatations mentioned but neither dated nor counted, when the number performed within a year is what separates the 30 and 50 percent rows.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Filing on symptom severity — heartburn, regurgitation, dietary limits — which is not what DC 7203's rows measure, and DC 7346 is rated on those rows.
- 02
Leaving procedure history out of the file, since dilatation counts, steroid dilatation, stent placement, surgical correction and PEG tube placement are the facts the compensable rows name.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
Hiatal hernias often worsen with age, obesity, or physical strain, including heavy lifting that increases abdominal pressure.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Hiatal Hernia by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate if symptoms are consistent and documented.
- Service-connected disabilities (VBA count)
- 518,630 disabilities
- Typical rating awarded
- ~30%
Count of service-connected disabilities from the VBA Annual Benefits Report (FY2025), as of September 30, 2025; the report counts disabilities, not veterans. Approval outlook and typical rating are Vetrify editorial estimates, not official VA statistics.
LET’S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP
Common questions about Hiatal Hernia
Is Hiatal Hernia a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Hiatal Hernia under VASRD diagnostic code 7346 (Digestive System). A hiatal hernia is part of the stomach pushing up through the diaphragm into the chest, which can cause reflux, chest discomfort and difficulty swallowing. DC 7346 carries no criteria of its own: the entry for hiatal hernia and paraesophageal hernia reads "Rate as esophagus, stricture of (DC 7203)." That means the evaluation is built on a documented esophageal stricture causing dysphagia and on the treatment it requires — dilatation, a stent, surgical correction or a feeding tube — rather than on how severe the reflux symptoms are.
What VA disability rating can I get for Hiatal Hernia?
Possible VA ratings for Hiatal Hernia are 80%, 50%, 30%, 10%, 0%. Examples: 80%: Documented history of recurrent or refractory esophageal stricture(s) causing dysphagia with at least one of the symptoms present: (1) aspiration, (2) undernutrition, and/or (3) substantial weight loss as defined by § 4.112(a) and treatment with either surgical correction or percutaneous esophago-gastrointestinal tube (PEG tube); 50%: Documented history of recurrent or refractory esophageal stricture(s) causing dysphagia which requires at least one of the following (1) dilatation 3 or more times per year, (2) dilatation using steroids at least one time per year, or (3) esophageal stent placement; 30%: Documented history of recurrent esophageal stricture(s) causing dysphagia which requires dilatation no more than 2 times per year.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Hiatal Hernia?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Hiatal Hernia at around 30%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. Per the VBA Annual Benefits Report (FY2025), veterans receiving VA compensation as of September 30, 2025 had 518,630 service-connected disabilities rated as Hiatal Hernia. The report counts disabilities, not veterans. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate if symptoms are consistent and documented.
What evidence helps prove Hiatal Hernia for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Hiatal Hernia claim includes: A barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy report — Note (1) names these three studies as how findings must be documented; Dated dilatation records, including any dilatation performed using steroids, and reports for a stent, surgical correction, or a percutaneous esophago-gastrointestinal tube (PEG tube); Prescription records showing daily medication used to control dysphagia, which is what the 10 percent row describes; Weight measurements over time and documentation of any aspiration or undernutrition, named in the 80 percent row alongside substantial weight loss as defined by § 4.112(a).
Which DBQ is used for Hiatal Hernia?
VA's Esophageal Disorders Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is on its public list of DBQs. VA's page says: "You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers."
What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Hiatal Hernia?
Common pitfalls when filing for Hiatal Hernia: Filing on symptom severity — heartburn, regurgitation, dietary limits — which is not what DC 7203's rows measure, and DC 7346 is rated on those rows; Leaving procedure history out of the file, since dilatation counts, steroid dilatation, stent placement, surgical correction and PEG tube placement are the facts the compensable rows name.
What conditions can be secondary to Hiatal Hernia?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Hiatal Hernia, when a medical opinion links them, include: GERD; Esophagitis. A secondary condition gets its own rating, which VA combines with the veteran's other ratings under 38 CFR 4.25.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.114, Schedule of ratings, digestive system (Diagnostic Code 7346)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- VBA Annual Benefits Report (FY2025), service-connected disabilities count, as of September 30, 2025
Criteria in quotation marks are the regulation’s own words; everything else on this page is Vetrify’s summary of it. The eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
How these figures are checked: our methodology and the open dataset.
VA Calc: Disability Pay
Combine your ratings & see monthly pay on your iPhone · Works offline